Grand Theft Auto IV Extended Preview

Share.

Rockstar shows us 45 minutes of chases, shootouts and hot dogs.

By Chris Roper, Hilary Goldstein, and Matt Wales

After waiting for years for the true sequel to one of the most influential games of the past decade, Grand Theft Auto III, we finally got a taste of the future about two months ago. Rockstar Games headed towards the West Coast (a.k.a. the Best Coast) with a very special parcel in tow - a build of Grand Theft Auto IV. While what we saw then was certainly impressive, the presentation parlayed to us was nothing short of a teaser. We never even saw a gun.

This time though, things were different. Rockstar recently gave us a double-dipped walkthrough of about 45 minutes of play time, once without commentary or explanation so that we could just take it all in, and then a second time with a full presentation to clue us in to all of the details. Though we've all played countless hours of the GTAIII trilogy, this second time through was necessary simply because of the amount of stuff thrown in here.

Our demo began with Niko Bellic standing at the ready in Star Junction, Rockstar's version of Times Square. The area is filled with neon signs and glowing billboards which blanket buildings that stretch toward the sky. People scurry everywhere, doing whatever it is they do between jobs, drinks and sleep in Star Junction.

We predict sightseeing will take up many, many hours of our play time.

After looking around a bit to allow us to take in the rather impressive sights, Niko takes a short stroll over to a nearby hot dog vendor, hands over some cash and chows down on a dog. With his stomach full, he whistles for a cab, hops in and takes a ride.

Indeed, as immersive and open as past cities in the Grand Theft Auto games have been, none are more alive, realistic and seemingly involving than the Liberty City you'll find in GTAIV. Pedestrians perform all manners of activities while walking around. From smoking to reading to eating to dialing phones while not paying attention to where they're going, they seem much more alive than ever before.

Cabs aren't only for use after failed missions but can be hailed at any time by whistling. If one is nearby and without a passenger, he may pull over and pick you up. After you've taken a seat and told him where to go, be it a mission point or any place you've chosen on the map, you can sit in the back and watch the city go by. A quick press of a button will skip the journey and get you right to your destination, but there's something calming about sitting in the back of a cab in virtual traffic.

While cruising the streets you'll notice that not only every major section but every street in the game has its own name. While this may wind up helping the directionally-talented figure out how to get from place-to-place more easily, it also gives life to the city and brings about a feeling of history and time to Liberty City. In other words, the idea is to make sure it doesn't seem like the city only exists when you turn the game on.

While an engaging and immersive city certainly helps draw you in and keep you hooked, a Grand Theft Auto game wouldn't be the same without a healthy dose of violence...

The two missions we witnessed were centered around a character named Francis McReary, a corrupt cop who winds up with some rather incriminating evidence pointed his way. But what government worker would be worth their salt without dirt on someone else? Alas, our poor Niko is talked into taking on a few missions to make sure McReary stays clear of his business - "You look out for me, and I won't look out for you", as McReary puts it with a smug look on his face.

As often as you'll use your cell, it's a good thing there aren't phone bills in GTAIV.

Niko has two targets, each with their own handfuls of evidence. One is a high-priced lawyer from the firm of Goldberg, Ligner and Shyster; the other, a blackmailing thief. In order to get into the law firm, Niko heads to the closest Internet cafe, hops online and submits a slightly-exaggerated resume in order to land a one-on-one interview.

Indeed, the Internet is accessible all over Liberty City, and you'll be able to get online at any working computer that you find. While you're contained within the realm of the game's Internet (you can't surf IGN in other words), you'll be able to browse various sites at your leisure, send email, use online dating services and more (we'll get back to the dating part in a bit).

Once Niko has his resume sent off it'll usually take a couple days to hear from the office for a one-on-one, but for demo purposes Goldberg's secretary calls back almost immediately and an interview time is set. Instead of simply sitting around a waiting for time to pass, Niko turns his attention to target numero dos, the blackmailing thief.